Key action of upright pianofortes



June' 1 1926.

R. EASTWCOD KEY ACTION OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES s Sheets-Shet 1 Filed NOV. 15. 1920 Inventor $4M e/M EJ flmwG-M i June 1 1926. 1,586,547

R. EASTWOOD KEY ACTION OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES Filed Nov. 15. '1920 s sheets-sheet 2 In 7/612 top;

June 1 1926. 1,586,547

R. EASTWQOD KEY ACTION OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES Filed Nov. 15 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 In mentor;

Patented June 1, 1 926 (PATENT OFF [*CE.

RICHARD 'EASTlVOOZD, .OF UOLNE, ENGLAND.

ACTION *OF UPRIGH'T PIANOZEORTES.

Application filed November 15, 1920, Serial No. 424;2\62,.a1rd in Great Britain November 19, 11919,

This invention relates to the key actions of pianoiortes, and has for its main object to provide improved arrangement of such actions which will facilitate the rapid repetition of a note. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description.

According to the invention, a pianoforte key action comprises means-adapted to rig-- idly hold the hammer a short distance from the string after the key has been pressed down and the blow from the hammer imparted to the string, such means being also adapted upon .a slight release off the key to release the hammer and allow the jack, hopper or striker :(hereinatter renierred to :as the jack), to again engage therewith tovenable a further blow to he immediately struck to repeat the note. Atnrther feature of the {invention comprises a means for the return or backward movement of the hammer on the release of the key.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view of one em- ?bodiment of the invention showing the parts of the key action in the normal position, '2 is a like view showing-the parts in the positions they occupy when the key is depressed to sound a note and held down, Fig. 3 is a like view showing the re-engagement of the jack with the haanmer but after a very slight release movement of the hey, and Fig. L is a detached perspective view 01E a detail of the :action hereinafter moreyspecifically referred to. Figs. .5, 6, 7 :and 8 are corresponding views to Figs. 1, 2, '3 and 4:, respectively, of another embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings and the following description, similar characters of retenence inclicate similar parts.

Reterring first to Figs. 1 to 4, 1 is the .key of the action, 2 the lba'lance :rai'l 'w'l-iereon the key :rocks, 3the prolongwith which the rear end of the key 1co-acts and which is pivoted at its lower end to one end of a link 5, the other end off which is pivoted to a flange on the rail 6, and pivoted at its upper end to zthe lower lover or wippen 7 which is piv-- :oted rat 8 .to a flange on the hammerzraiil 9. 10 is the jack pivoted at 11 on the lever i7 and provided with the usual 'flange or .setoil 10 between which and the lever 7 the 'zu'suall spring is anranged. 18 is the hammer comprising the :butt 1:3 which is pivoted at 4 to a hangs on the rail 9 and provided with the usual shoulder or notch 13 -tor the engagement 19f the upper end of the jack 1 0, the stem 18, and the head 13. 14: is a shank carried by the hammer butt 18 and which may conveniently be the usual check button shank, and 1.5 is a button carried by the free end of the shank 1d and which may conveniently he the usual check button. 16 is the customary tape connecting. the button 15 to the tie 1.17 (on the lever or wipi-pen 7.

The usual check is dispensed with and in its place there is mountedion the jack 10 a two-limhed member 18, the limbs 18, 18. 0d whichxane of unequal length and co-operate with the shank 14:3a11d the button 15 respectively. Fig. l, the member 18 is constituted by a piece .=Oif stout wire bent to form a looped portion 18 5.01 adjtustdbile attachment to the jack :by a screw 19, and the limbs 18*, 18".,

Gonveniently and as shown in the ends 18 18 of which are bent at right angles. The end lt8 of the short limb 1'8 lies bellow/and is adapted to engage with, the underside of the shank 14 While the long limh 1.8 extends clear of the shank .14 and its end 18 is adapted to engage with the button l5.

Normally, the parts of the action are in the position shown jin'zliig. 1, and on depression of the key 1 the jack 1O actuates the hammer 18.:to strike the string 21and then disengages the shoulder or notch 13 of the hammer butt Eh) by reason of the engagement of its set oli' 10 with the setaod' button :29 all in the usual way. After the hammer strikes the string, and while the key is held down, there is the customary slight rearward movement of the hammer. On this rearward movement of the hammer taking place the shank 1d and button 15 are engaged :by the "limbs 18 1 8 ot the member 18 on the jack 10.. Theend 18 of the short limb :18 engaging below the shank 14: supports same and presses the hammer forward and the button against the end 18 of the long sl'imb 18, which latter presses the hammer rearward and the shank 1 1 against the short zlimb 18, the hammer being thus held at a short distance from thestrling 21 against movement in either direction, as shown in Fig. 2. A slight release movement of the key 1 serves to release the hammer and to allow the jack 10 to again engage the shoulder or notch 13 (oat the .butt thereof to repeat the note with little :or ,no turther rearward movement of the hammer, which dul ing the re-engaging movement of the jack is supported by the end 18 of the short limb 18 riding over the surface 29.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8, the customary check 22 is retained and the short limb 18 aforesaid of the member 18 is dispensed with. In place of the said short limb 18, the cheek button 15 is provided with means whereby after the key has been depressed to cause the hammer to strike the string 21 and the key is held down, the check button 15 and hammer 13 are sup ported by the check 22 during a subsequent slight release movement of the key to enable the jack 10 to again engage with the shoulder or notch 13 of the hammer butt 1.3 with a very small rearward movement of the hammer. Conveniently, the cheek button 15 is provided with a lip 23 which when the key 1 has been actuated to cause the hammer 13 to strike the string 21 and is held down, engages with the upper edge of the check 22. The check button 15 itself also engages the check 22 and the limb 18 of the member 18, as before, engages the check button, by which means the latter is held between the check 22 and the limb 18 and the hammer held a short distance from the string 21, against movement in either direction. On a subsequent slight release movement of the key 1, the cheek button 15 and hammer 13 are supported by the engagement of the lip 23 with, and the riding thereof over, the upper edge of the check 22 while the jack again engages with the hammer butt, very little rearward movement of the hammer taking place during the engagement of the jack with the hammer butt.

As in the key actions described above, the hammer is held against movement in either direction when the key is depressed and held down, all possibility of the hammer rebounding is obviated, and the hammer may, therefore, be held nearer the string than in other actions, thereby reducing the backward movement of the hammer when the key is slightly released to re-engage the jack therewith for repetition of the note.

In order to further prevent or control backward movement of the hammer during the release of the depressed key to reengage the jack with the hammer butt for the repetition of the note, (in passing from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3) there may be provided in conjunction with the hammer a braking means which may conveniently comprise a block or shoe 2 1 pivotally connected by an arm 25 to the hammer butt 13 and a rail 26 over which the block or shoe is adapted to ride. The block or shoe and the rail may be covered or provided with felt, leather or other equivalent friction or roughened surfaces 27. The operative surface of the block or shoe may be beveled as at 28 and the rail 26' may be mounted on end pivots 30 on or about which it can be adjusted to regulate as desired the resistance offered to the movement of the block or shoe thereover when the hammer moves rearward.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A key action for pianofortes, comprising means adapted after the key has been de pressed and the hammer blow imparted to the string, to positively hold the hammer a short distance from the string against movement in both directions, and also adapted on a subsequent slight release movement of the key to free the hammer and allow the jack to re-engage same for the repetition of the note and brake means retarding the fall of the key upon said subsequent release.

2. A pianoforte key action according to claim 1 in which the means comprises, a member mounted on the jack and comprising two limbs, one of which presses the hammer forward and the other of which presses same rearward after the key is depressed and the blow of the hammer imparted to the string, and thereby positively holds the hammer a short distance from the string.

8. A key action for pianofortes having an operating key and hammer, said action comprising means including a jack for operating the hammer to strike a blow, said hammer having a shank extending therefrom and carrying an abutment, a member on said jack and having two arms, one of which arms engages and moves along the under side of the shank and presses the hammer forwardly, and the other arm of which engages with said abutment to press the hammer rearwardly, means for causing a movement of the ack at the end of the key stroke for stopping further driving action of the jack upon the hammer and for moving said member to press the abutment and hammer rearwardly a short distance, the two arms then holding the hammer in that position against movement in both directions until the key is released, the engagement of an arm of the member with the abutment being above the shank, and brake means retarding the fall of the key upon its release.

In a pianoforte key action, a braking device operating independently of the wippen adapted to retard the rearward movement of the hammer on the release of the key after same has been depressed and the hammer blow imparted to the string.

5. A pianoforte key action according to claim 4L, in which the brake device comprises a block or shoe pivotally connected to the hammer and a rail, the block being mounted to ride over a rail in frictional engagement therewith.

6. In a pianoforte key action, a bra-king device operating independently of the wippen adapted to retard the rearward moveinent of the hammer on the release of the key after same has been depressed and the hammer blow imparted to the string, said braking device comprising a shoe pivotally connected to the hammer and a rail, said shoe being mounted to ride over the rail in frictional engagement therewith, said rail being angularly adjustable for the purpose of varying the resistance offered thereby to the movement of the shoe thereover.

7. In a key action for pianofortes, a jack, a hammer upon which the jack operates and having an extension, with an arcuate under surface which has a center of curvature sub stantially coincident with the pivot of the jack when the key is depressed and the hammer has rebounded, a member carried by the jack and having a portion extending beneath the arcuate surface of the extension to limit the return movement of the hammer when the ack becomes disengaged from the hammer, the hammer being held in substantially the same position during the early part of the release of the key while the member rides along the areuate surface as the jack moves into driving reengagement with the hammer.

8. In a key action for pia-nofortes, a jack, a hammer upon which the jack operates and having an extension, a member carried by the jack and having two limbs, both adapted to engage the extension, one of the limbs limiting the rearward movement of the hammer and the other pressing the hammer away from the string.

9. In a key action for pianofortes, a jack, a hammer operated by the jack, means carried by the jack and operative when the jack is disengaged from the hammer for resiliently pressing the hammer away from the string, and means operable concomitantly with said jack for limiting rearward movement of the hammer while the key is clepressed and the jack is disengaged from the hammer.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD EASTWOOD. 

